System and method for selecting, capturing, and distributing customized event recordings

ABSTRACT

A system that enables an event or moments within an event to be captured and provided in a record that preserves at least some aspects of the participant&#39;s perspective of the event. In particular, the present invention involves centralized recording of the event in one or more modes including video, audio, and still image recordings and a system that enables a participant (i.e., one who perceives the event) to select portions of the event recording substantially contemporaneously with the event occurrence. A personalized record is made by duplicating the selected portions from the event record. In a particular example, the personalized record is recorded on a digital media such as a compact disc (CD) or digital video disk (DVD) or the like.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No.60/299,630 filed Jun. 20, 2001, the disclosure of which is hereinspecifically incorporated in its entirety by this reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates, in general, to media recording anddistribution, and, more particularly, to software, systems and methodsfor producing personalized recordings of live, pre-recorded andbroadcast events.

2. Relevant Background

Attendance at live, pre-recorded, and/or broadcast events remains animportant mode of communicating information in entertainment, educationand other fields. For example, concerts, sporting events, seminars,classes, lectures, speeches, conventions and the like involve attendedevents. Characteristically, an event is something that is ephemeral inthat it involves the presentation and perception of the sounds, images,and activities that occur during the event. Even when an event isimplemented by playing pre-recorded sounds and images, the event as itis perceived by a participant remains an ephemeral, short-livedoccurrence.

An event is defined by a place in which the event occurs, and a time orspan of time over which the event occurs. Because of the short-livednature of events, participants often attempt various methods of makingrecords of the event for future reference. For example, in classes orlectures students frequently take written notes or audio recordings topreserve important information that is delivered. At weddings or otherimportant social occasions, participants bring multiple video cameras,still cameras, audio recorders and the like so that each participant canrecord their own perception of the same event.

One difficulty with individual participant recordings is thatparticipants tend to be selective about what portions of an event theywish to record, but often make the decision to record a particularportion after it has started. There is no way to go back in time andstart recording the interesting part from its beginning, hence, the endproduct is flawed. Also, because multiple participants are recordingessentially the same event, there is tremendous duplication of costs andeffort.

Particularly in the entertainment industry, however, such recordings areprohibited. Even where recording is possible, it is difficult to makequality recordings that accurately capture the sounds and images of anevent while at the same time participating in the event. For example,taking lecture notes distracts the participant from actively listeningto the information presented during the event. Audio and videorecordings of seminars or concerts, when permitted, are often of poorquality because the participants proximity to the event is non-ideal,consumer-grade equipment is used, and/or important portions of the eventare missed.

A partial solution involves centralized event recording. For example, aspeech or seminar may be video taped or audio taped for latercompilation and distribution to the attendees or others paying for thetapes. Similarly, a live concert may be recorded for later distributionas an album. Although these centralized recordings free the participantfrom distractions and complexity related to making the recording, theylack an ability for the participant to personalize the recording. Theyrecord all parts of an event, not just the parts that are important to aparticipant. Hence, they completely dissociate recording from the user'sperspective of the event.

There is a demonstrated market desire for a system that allows eventparticipants to select the content from an event and to produce apersonalized recording using the selected content. A significantunderground industry has evolved in producing “bootleg” recordings ofconcerts, for example. Even though one can purchase a higher-qualityrecording of the same song that was performed in concert, a strongmarket exists for the bootleg recording. It is believed that this desireis rooted in the fact that, unlike a high quality studio recording, thebootleg recording captures the unique perspective of an eventparticipant. If such recording were legal, it is expected that a highpercentage of concert-goers would use recording equipment to capturetheir own unique perspective on the event. Moreover, there is a strongdesire to constrain or eliminate the market forces that encouragebootlegging.

From the event sponsor, promoters or performer's perspective, this unmetdemand is an unused route to produce additional sales from previouslycreated and/or acquired content. These parties work together to create aunique moment in time for the participant that places the participant ina unique state of mind. The images, sounds, and interactions with otherparticipants create a unique, fleeting desire to record particularmoments in an event. Once the event has concluded, this fleeting desireis impossible to recreate. As a result, even when events are recordedand later distributed, there is limited desire on behalf of participantsto purchase such recordings. Similarly, there are unmet demands forparticipants to actively participate in the process of building,creating and producing a personalized recording of an event, making suchrecording of significantly greater value to the participant than themere content alone.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Briefly stated, the present invention involves a system that enables anevent or moments within an event to be captured and provided in apersonalized record that preserves at least some aspects of theparticipant's perspective of the event. In particular, the presentinvention involves centralized recording of the event in one or moremodes including video, audio, and still image recordings and a systemthat enables a participant (i.e., one who perceives the event) to selectportions of the event recording substantially contemporaneously with theevent occurrence. A personalized record is made by duplicating theselected portions from the event record. In a particular example, thepersonalized record is recorded on a digital media such as a compactdisc (CD) or digital video disk (DVD) or the like.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows various entities and data exchanges in system in which thepresent invention is implemented;

FIG. 2 illustrates in block diagram form basic features of a system inaccordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 shows a live event system used in particular implementations ofthe present invention; and

FIG. 4 shows a broadcast event system used in particular implementationsof the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In general, the present invention is directed to a personalized eventrecording and distribution system that enables an event participant toselect content or otherwise modify the manner in which a recording of anevent is produced. Rather than multiple individual recordings of anevent, the present invention involves capturing sounds and images of anevent in a centralized recording. Participants make selections byrecording points in time or spans of time during the event that theywish to record. Preferably the selections are made as the event occursin “real-time”. By synchronizing the user selections with thecentralized recording, portions of the centralized recording can beidentified and duplicated to produce a unique compilation of selectionsfor each participant. In this manner, each user can generate apersonalized recording from the centralized recording, yet enjoy theadvantages of personalizing the recording so that it reflects eachparticipant's unique perspective and preferences.

The term “event” as used herein is construed broadly to mean liveperformances, live broadcasts or transmissions, as well as performancesand transmissions of pre-recorded events. An event may take a singlemoment in time, or span a period of time. An event may itself comprise acontinuous or discontinuous sequence of events. In large part, thepresent invention recognizes that an event is in a very important waydefined by the participants, spectators, viewers and listeners thatperceive the event. Hence, even group events are unique to each personthat perceives the event irrespective of whether the event is perceiveddirectly and in person, indirectly through a transmission medium,contemporaneously, or at a different time than the original occurrenceon the event happenings.

FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an overview of various entities anddata exchanges that occur in exemplary embodiments of the presentinvention. In particular, FIG. 1 illustrates a live event system 300,shown in greater detail in FIG. 3, and a Broadcast event system 400 thatis shown in greater detail in FIG. 4. Live event system 300 isparticularly adapted to “live” events at venues such as concert halls,convention centers, arenas, stadiums, and other venues or forums whereevents occur. Live event system 300 enables event participants and/orspectators 101 to make spontaneous realtime selections of content atlive events such as speeches, conferences, concerts, sporting events,and the like. In particular implementations, live event system 300and/or broadcast system 400 may include other components shown in FIG. 1including order processing 111, content storage 109, and the like.

Broadcast system 400 is adapted to an environment where an event occursin a viewer's home, office, car or other location where an audio and/orvideo transmission is received. The transmission may be of a live eventor of a pre-recorded event. Transmitted events include narrowcast andmulticast technologies as well as conventional broadcast. Pre-recordedevents become an “event” each time the recording is perceived by alistener/viewer, In either case, the viewer/listener 101 is able to makespontaneous real-time selections of content from the event as it ispresented.

Referring first to live event system 300, an event involves a presenter103 (or plurality of presenters) such as a speaker, performer, athleteor other person that is conveying information or acting in a particularway unique to the event. Presenter 103 may actually be a filmpresentation, broadcast or simulcast, or a demonstration of a non-humanthing or event. In the live event system 300 selected features of theevent including, for example, sounds, images, or other recordablefeatures are recorded by a central recording system 105. Recordingsystem 105 may be a digital tape recorder coupled to the sound board ina concert, and/or video cameras. The number and variety of input devicessuch as microphones, cameras and the like can be adjusted to meet theneeds of a particular application. Recording system 105 often willinclude multiple recording mechanisms. Significantly, the records madeby recording system 105 are shared by many or all of participants 101and in many cases will be shared across multiple events. Hence, there iscost justification for building central recording 105 using highquality, professional-grade equipment that is often impractical forindividual participants 101. In many cases, event venues are alreadyoutfitted with suitable recording equipment, such as a sound board,video equipment, mixers, recording equipment, and the like, in whichcase the present invention may obtain content from this equipment ratherthan providing equipment separately.

In a particular example, central recording 105 creates an event record107 that records the entire event or sequence of events that occurtogether. Because the entire event is recorded, participants 101 areable to select any portion or segment of the event for theirpersonalized recording. Although some participants 101 may desire arecording of the entire event, a significant feature of the invention isthe ability for participants 101 to selectively include, or converselyexclude, portions of an event. Selection can occur at any time during anevent, even after the start of the desired event segment, while captureof the entire segment is assured allowing a participant to capture andobtain a recording that might otherwise have been missed.

Moreover, the present invention contemplates that the personalizedrecording that is produced can be customized not only by selectingcontent, but by personalizations implemented during printing labels,packaging materials, and the like according to customer preferences. Forexample, a label printed on the surface of a CD or DVD may includepersonalized graphics reflecting participant selections, the name orother symbol of the participant, unique graphics and text for the eventor forum, and the like. Similarly, packaging materials may includepersonalized covers, song lists, lyrics, text, speaker names, and thelike that reflect personal preferences of the participant.

Participants 101 operate selection devices 102 that allow a user toselect a particular moment or span of time within an event. Theselection device 102 generates a selection message that uniquelyidentifies the participant 101 and the time at which a selection ismade. The selection device may relay the selection immediately to anorder processing system 111 or may store the selection for subsequenttransfer to order processing system 111. Order processing system 111 maybe implemented by facilities at or near the event venue (i.e., a “localevent centers”) or may comprise one or more centralized facilities thatare remote from the event venue (i.e., “remote event centers”) andaccessible by network connections, a web site interface, data or voicephone line connections, or by a physical store front or automated saleskiosk that enables participants to transact selections and orderpersonalized recordings. In the examples herein, order processingservices 111 are provided in a centralized system that is used by bothbroadcast event system 400 and live event system 300, although it iscontemplated that separate facilities may be provided and that orderprocessing services 111 may be implemented as a distributed system. Inessence, order processing system 111 includes interfaces for receivingselections and synchronizing those selections with event content. Thatsynchronization may be simplified when both the selections and eventrecords include a common time stamp or other explicit synchronizationinformation, or may be more complex when the system must infer someselection information or some event record information. Order collectionsystem uses the selections and synchronization determination to generateproduction orders that are formatted for use by a production facility113 to fulfill orders for personalized recordings. These orders may takethe form, for example, of XML records containing information needed toproduce, label, package, ship, and bill for production services.

In broadcast system 400, content may come from a live event (e.g., inthe case of a live broadcast) or may comprise pre-recorded content.Broadcast facilities 115 distribute the content over any availablebroadcast, multicast, narrowcast, or unicast technique to one or moreparticipants 101. Transmission techniques include cable, radio frequency(RF), microwave, satellite transmission, as well as network transmissionusing various network protocols (e.g., TCP/IP, fibre channel and thelike). In a manner akin to the live event system 300, participants (alsoreferred to as viewers or listeners) use a selection device 102 to sendselection messages to order processing 111. Selection messages may alsobe sent to order processing 111 via a conventional telephone, privatenetwork, public network such as the Internet, or other availablecommunication mechanisms. In practice, some applications may provide forphysically transporting selections and/or content to a productionfacility via mail, courier, or overnight delivery service. One featureof the present invention is that it can be implemented with a varietytechnologies to both record orders and communicate orders so long as theorders are synchronized or can be later synchronized with the centralrecording of the event.

Selections are handled by order processing unit 111 to generate ordersfor personalized media production that are sent to a production facility113. Production facility 113 also has access to the event contentrecords 107 generated by live event system 300 and/or broadcast system400. The event records, containing the event content, are stored incontent storage 109, for example. Content storage 109 may beimplemented, for example, by a database or other data storage mechanismat the production facility 113, or by a one or more network-accessibledata storage mechanisms.

Production facility 113 comprises, for example, a CD/DVD disc productionfacility, and preferably a network-accessible or web-access enabledCD/DVD production facility. The production facility 113 produces one ormore personalized records 117 such as custom CD/DVD that embody contentthat corresponds to selections of a specific participant 101. Productionfacility 113 may be provided by a third party custom duplication servicesuch as offered by Tangible Data, Inc. of Thornton, Colo.

Personalized records 117 may be delivered in a tangible media form suchas a CD/DVD, digital tape, or other content storage mechanism includingmagnetic, optical, and magneto-optic storage media using tangible mediadelivery services 121. Personalized recordings may also be provided onsolid state storage media such as volatile or non-volatile memorydevices often used to store music files in digital music players.Alternatively, the personalized record can be shipped electronically viaelectronic media delivery services 122. In the latter case, thepersonalized record 117 may comprise, for example, a disk image that canbe placed on a hard drive or burned on a personal CD/DVD writer at afacility separate from production facility 113.

FIG. 2 illustrates the systems of the present invention from anotherperspective in somewhat more abstract form than the perspective shown inFIG. 1 to illustrate basic functionality of the various systemcomponents. Both live event system 300 and broadcast system 400 generatecontent and orders, where the orders are synchronized with the content.Orders in FIG. 2 embody one or more selections shown in FIG. 1, and arehandled by order processing services 111. Content in the form, forexample, of event records, is communicated electronically and/orphysically with the production facility 113. Order processing services111 can provide any necessary or desired services to transform userselections from a plurality of participants 101 and in someimplementations a variety of venues, into production orders personalizedrecords 117 for tangible media and/or electronic media delivery.

FIG. 3 illustrates a live event system 300 in greater detail in blockdiagram form. The Live Event System 300, in conjunction with an enabledonline CD and DVD Production Facility 113, will allow the attendee of aconcert, seminar, sporting event or practically any audienceparticipation presentation event, to select segments of the presentationto be placed on a custom CD or other media and delivered to the attendeein as little as a matter of hours after the event. An immediate need forthis system exists in the music concert promotion business. The attendee101 uses a small handheld selection device 102, supplied to them by theevent management, for example, to make the selections during the event.As shown in FIG. 3, attendees or customers 101 use a selection device102 to generate and record selections and orders.

Remote selection devices are of two general classes. Immediate or realtime transmission devices 302 operate to capture a participant selectionand transmit it substantially immediately to order processing system111. In contrast, timer-based or delayed transmission 304 involvestoring the selections, for example in memory of the selection device102. Real time transmission devices 302 include wireless selectiondevices such as cell phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), laptopand palm computers with network connections, as well as special purposewired selection devices built in to or tethered to participant's seats.Wireless devices 302 include any of a variety of wireless computingdevices such as cell phones, and the like that include means foraccessing network resources and communicating over a wireless network.Two-way wireless devices offer an advantage in some applications in thatthe system can signal a user when selections can be made, for example bycausing the selection device 102 to display a green light or otherindicator during times when selections are valid. A wireless networkincludes RF, microwave, infrared, and the like that implements one-wayor two-way communication with selection device 102.

Cell phones are an example of a wireless selector 302 that uses aconventional telephone network to register selections of an attendee101. Attendee may, for example, dial a particular phone number toregister a selection automatically or through a voice mail system orhuman interface. Using a cell phone, the attendee ID is already known,and potentially many transaction details such as billing information andthe like are implicitly known from the caller identification provided bythe cell phone. Similarly, the forum ID, which indicates the physicalproximity of an event, may be implied from a cell that picks up thephone call or the phone number dialed by the participant. Alternatively,the forum ID may be previously registered or explicitly indicated withthe attendee selection, or identified by the phone number dialed by auser.

One-way and two-way dedicated wireless devices are examples of selectiondevices 302 that communicate with a local or wide area wireless networkthat is accessible to the attendee 101. For example, IEEE 802.11wireless networks are becoming more frequent services at conventions,conferences, educational facilities and entertainment facilities. Thesemay be provided as a service for attendees 101 or for the use ofconcessionaires and vendors. Many devices such as PDAs and the like cancouple to such a standards-based network. Alternatively, a proprietarynetwork may be used.

In other applications, selection device 302 is a wired or wirelessdevice built into, for example, the arm rest or seat back of seats, orprovided as a tethered console used to enable interaction with attendees101. In either case, the adaptations required to record the selectionsin accordance with the present invention are easily implemented.

Delayed transmission devices 304 may be implemented using most of thesame devices used for immediate transmission such as cell phones, PDAs,in-seat devices, special-purpose circuits that have memory to hold userselections. Programmable devices such as cell phones and PDAs can bereadily outfitted with application software that creates a userinterface for entering selections, storing selections, and latercommunicating selections with order processing services 111. A delayedtransmission device may be as simple as a computer readable ballot oroptical scan form. Unlike real time transmission devices 302, networkconnectivity is not required as selections can be communicatedasynchronously after the selection has been made, and even after anevent has occurred.

Timer based selector differs from the other selectors in that itincludes a synchronization reference such as a local time reference,selection name, selection number or other information that enablessynchronization with an event record, and so does not requirecontemporaneous connection to order processing system 111. A timer basedselector can record a local time each time an attendee activates aselection button. By including a time base reference in the event recordfrom live content source 303, the event record can be readilysynchronized at any time after the event. The timer based selector canrecord a single time point during an event, or record beginning andending time points for an event.

Timer-based selectors may be gathered at an event, deposited with orderprocessing 111 after an event (e.g., dropped off or mailed in), or maybe uploaded over a communication link sometime after the selection ismade. In one implementation, order processing system 111 includes anetwork interface such as a web site interface that enables participantsto access the system by any available Internet protocol andcommunication channel. Timer based selectors may take a form similar tosmall handheld digital music players, digital cameras, or other digitalrecorders. However, unlike these conventional devices, the timer-basedselectors 304 do not actually record sights and sounds of an event, butinstead record selection records as described above.

It is also contemplated that participant selections may be partially orfully automated. For example, a selection may be triggered by the user'sproximity to an event or event segment. In an amusement park, forexample, the selection device 102 may identify the participant to thesystem using, for example, barcode scanning or radio frequencyidentification (RFID) technology. The system can then automaticallygenerate a selection on behalf of the user based on the user's presencein the proximity of the event segment. The selections indicate, forexample, a user identification obtained from the selection device 102,an identity of the event segment, and the time at which the eventsegment occurs. Recordings of the automatically selected segment, whichmay includes sounds and images that include the participant, can belater compiled into a personalized recording that extracts segments froma common recording that include segments in which the participant wasnear by.

As shown in FIG. 3, an event record includes content, and optionallyincludes a time-base reference (e.g., time code in FIG. 3) and a forumID. While content is explicitly carried in the event record, the timecode and forum ID can be implied or otherwise indicated. For example, anevent often occurs only once at a particular location. Hence, thecontent itself implies the location. A video tape or audio tape playsback at a certain speed, hence, any point within a tape of the event canbe defined by the event starting point and an offset time into theevent. Content collection unit 307, which may be at the productionfacility 113, at the live event forum itself, works in conjunction withorder processing system 111 to ensure synchronization between selectionsand portions of event records.

A selection record includes an identification of a unique attendee, aselection time or other indication of a segment of the event that is tobe provided on a personalized recording (e.g., a segment number), andoptionally includes a forum ID if the forum cannot be otherwisedetermined from the time of the selection or manner in which theselection is communicated.

FIG. 4 illustrates broadcast system 400 in greater detail. A broadcastedlive event, such as a music concert, which is enabled to operate withthe present invention, will allow a listener or viewers 101 to selectsegments of the event to be recorded, for example on a custom CD or DVD,using any Internet access, cell phone, standard phone, or mobilewireless Internet device, or by mechanisms such as mail-in forms, faxforms, and the like. For example, a live music concert is beingbroadcast live on one a pay-per-view channels or on one of the standardnetworks. A viewer 101 of the concert wishes to add one of the songs totheir custom CD. The viewer 101 can make the selection during the songby accessing the order collection system 111 from any Internet accesspoint including wireless, cell phone or standard phone.

Broadcast system 400 interact with systems operated by broadcaster inthe implementation shown in FIG. 4. For example, the broadcaster's videoand sound systems 401 are used to capture content and broadcast systems405 are used to deliver the content in a substantially conventionalfashion over radio, television, microwave, cable, satellite, or otherdistribution mechanisms. In accordance with the present invention,content collection and synchronization systems 403 make the contentavailable for personalized recordings by adding synchronizationidentifiers (e.g., time stamps, record names, and the like) in a mannerthat enables order collection system 111 to synchronize participantselections with particular portions of the broadcast content. Ordercollection system 111 transforms the selections into orders having asuitable format for use by a production facility 113 to produce apersonalized recording containing content selected by viewers/listeners101.

In another example, a customer, listening to any radio station that isenabled to operate with the present invention, can select the segment(song, talk, etc.) they are receiving, to be recorded on their customCD/DVD. They could make this selection by communicating with ordercollection system 111 via a web server front end, cellular phone,standard phone, or mobile wireless Internet device. In another example,an button or control can be added to radio and/or television devicesand/or their remote controls so that when a customer wishes to add thesegment they are listening to their custom CD/DVD they simply press thebutton on the radio or television remote.

A broadcasted pre-recorded event, such as a music concert, which isenabled to use the services of the present invention, allows a listeneror viewer to select segments of the event to be recorded on a custom CDor DVD using any data communication network access, access, cell phone,standard phone, or mobile wireless Internet device. This can be expandedto WEB radio. A button or control can be added to the WEB radio controlpanel. When the listener wants the song he is hearing added to theirCD/DVD the listener just presses the button. The interface to the WEBradio site will detect the selection and add that song to the listener'spersonalized CD/DVD.

As a customer 101 attends enabled events and collects music, speeches,and the like, they cannot only make CDs and DVDs from this content. Theycan also edit, arrange, and create new CDs and DVDs from the selectedcontent. Each time the customer produces and purchases a CD/DVD fromtheir collection of event content the artists and other appropriateparties are paid. In some implementation, at any time after the deliveryof the initial CD/DVD the customer may log on to the order processingservice 113, select the re-order section, enter their name or customernumber, enter the unique product number of their custom CD/DVD, andorder additional copies of the CD/DVD. Anyone, having access to thecustomer number and custom CD/DVD product number can order copies of theCD/DVD.

By way of example, while attending a music concert enabled to work withthe system of the present invention, attendee 101 creates and orders acustom CD of their favorite songs during the concert. The customerreceives their CD the next day. The next week the customer takes theircustom CD of the concert to work and plays it in their office whileworking. During the day co-workers come into their office, hear the CDand want one for themselves. The customer can tell the co-workers to logonto the web site that implements an interface to order processing 111,even while at work, and order their own copy of the CD. In this manner,the present invention benefits artists and other content providers byopening up new channels for content distribution.

The present invention is readily adapted to include a number ofvariations to meet needs of a particular application. For example, eventsegment selections as described in the examples herein involve selectionof a particular time or span of time during an event. This techniqueworks well for an event that comprises a sequence of segments that occurin a time-ordered fashion. However, in some cases, an event comprises asequence of segments where the time-order is less relevant to theparticipant. For example, in a museum or amusement park, a participantmay wish to create a record of particular exhibits that are viewedwithout respect to when they are reviewed. In such cases, a participantmay desire to order selections in terms of relative physical locationirrespective of the relative time in which the event segment wasperceived. Hence, given the definition that an event is defined by aparticular time and place, it is contemplated that a participant maydefine selections by specifying either time, or place, or both, and usethat selection to retrieve previously or contemporaneously recordedcontent associated with that time or place.

A significant feature of the present invention is that it enables acontrolled, easily regulated distribution of valuable content so as toprotect and preserve rights of artists, performers and other contentcreators and owners. Because recording operations are centralized,negotiated royalties can be paid to appropriate parties when apersonalized recording is produced. Moreover, any available rightsmanagement processes can be incorporated with the present invention. Forexample, the personalized recording can be formatted, encrypted, orwatermarked to discourage subsequent copies of the personalizedrecording.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated with a certaindegree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosurehas been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in thecombination and arrangement of parts can be resorted to by those skilledin the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention,as hereinafter claimed.

1. A system for recording events comprising: a centralized recordingfacility operable to record a feature of a live event provided by apresenter at an event venue; a selection device operable by anindividual user, the selection device allowing the user, during liveperformance of the feature of the live event and while the user isattending the live event at the event venue, to select discrete portionsof the live event for personal recording; and a media productionmechanism operable to obtain the user-selected portions, obtain segmentsof the record corresponding to the selected portions, and produce aderivative recording containing the user-selected segments of the liveevent, wherein the event comprises a plurality of discrete ones of thesegments stored on the record that each span a time period and whereinuser selection of an entire one of the event segments comprises enteringa user selection by operation of the selection device during the liveevent, to select a particular moment of time, at any time within thetime period corresponding to the entire one of the event segments,whereby the media production mechanism is able to obtain theuser-selected portions by synchronizing the user selectionscorresponding to the particular moments of time with live event contentin the record, wherein content associated with the live event is notbroadcast to the selection device for use in the entering of the userselection.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the selection devicecomprises a memory operable to log the particular moments of timecorresponding to user selections.
 3. The system of claim 1 wherein thefeature of the event comprises an audio sequence.
 4. The system of claim1 wherein the feature of the event comprises a still image.
 5. Thesystem of claim 1 wherein the feature of the event comprises a videosequence.
 6. The system of claim 1 wherein the centralized recordingfacility operates independently of the user and user selection device.7. The system of claim 1 further comprising a plurality of centralizedrecording facilities operable to record multiple event segments of theevent, wherein the selection device enables a user to select the eventsegments from among the multiple event segments of the event at theevent venue.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the centralized recordingfacility operates to record the feature of the event during theperformance of the feature of the event to the record and wherein themedia production mechanism operates to obtain the user-selected portionsfrom the record after the performance of the feature of the event. 9.The system of claim 1, wherein the selection device is operated duringthe performance of the event and after the selected discrete portionsare each started to enter the user selections of the entire ones of theevent segments for inclusion on the derivative recording.
 10. The systemof claim 1, further comprising a plurality of additional ones of theselection devices operable by additional ones of the individual usersduring the live performance of the live event and at the event venue toindependently select additional ones of the discrete portions of thelive event and wherein the media production mechanism further operatesto produce additional ones of the derivative recordings containinguser-selected segments chosen based on the selected discrete portionsand wherein at least some of the additional ones of the derivativerecordings differ in content from each other.
 11. The system of claim 1,wherein the live event includes a concert including a plurality ofsongs, wherein the time period comprises a start time and an end timefor each of the songs, and wherein each of the user selectionscorresponds to a time between the start time and the end time for one ofthe songs.
 12. The system of claim 2, wherein the memory logs theparticular moments of time in a selection record that is provided to themedia production mechanism along with an attendee identification andevent venue identification in a selection message for use in theobtaining of the segments of the record of the live event for thederivative recording.
 13. The system of claim 1, wherein the particularmoment in time is local time at which the user activated the selectiondevice, whereby a local time reference is used by the media productionmechanism as a synchronization reference for performing thesynchronizing of the user selection to the live event.
 14. The system ofclaim 1 wherein the selection device is configured to be triggered tomake the user selections based on proximity of the user to a locationassociated with the feature of the live event in the event venue.
 15. Adevice for obtaining event records comprising: an interface allowing auser to designate a plurality of portions of a live performance of anevent for which a recording is desired, wherein the plurality ofportions of the event each span a time period within a duration of theevent, wherein the interface is operable by the user during the durationof the event to designate the plurality of portions, wherein the eventoccurs at a venue, and wherein the interface is positioned at the venueto be operable by the user while the user is located at the venue andduring the live performance, and wherein the plurality of portions ofthe live performance are not broadcast to the device to the designatingof the plurality of portions; and a selection record containingidentifications of the designated portions of the event such that arecording of the designated portions can be retrieved using theselection record and including an identification of the user to link therecording to the user, wherein the identifications of the designatedportions each comprise a selection time falling in one of the timeperiods for the event.
 16. The device of claim 15 further comprisingmeans for communicating the user designation to a central recordingfacility.
 17. The device of claim 15, wherein the interface displays anindicator during times when the user is able to validly designate theportion of the event for which the recording is desired.
 18. A method ofproducing a personalized recording of portions of an event created by apresenter comprising: with a recording facility, centrally recording theevent to create an event record stored in memory; with a mediaproduction mechanism, obtaining participant selections that identifyindividual participants and event portions selected by the participants,wherein the participant selections are created during the recording bythe recording facility of the event by the individual participantsoperating a selection device without the selection device receivingbroadcast transmissions associated with the event and wherein theindividual participants are attendees of the event and operate theselection devices located at a place where the event occurs, whereby theevent portions selected by the participants correspond to the event asperceived by the individual participants while at the place where theevent occurs; synchronizing the selections with the event record; andwith the media production mechanism, generating a personalized recordingfor each of the participants containing the participant selected eventportions using the participant-selected portions from the event record,wherein the event portions each comprise a segment of the eventcorresponding to a unique and discrete period of time during the event.19. The method of claim 18 further comprising communicating theparticipant selections to an order processing unit contemporaneouslywith the event.
 20. The method of claim 18 further comprisingcommunicating the participant selections to an order processing unitafter the event.
 21. The method of claim 18, wherein the obtaining ofthe participant selections comprises automatically generating selectionsfor the participant based on locations of the participant at the placewhere the event occurs at one or more points in time during the event.22. An order processing system for production of personalized recordingscomprising: an interface for receiving selection records, where eachselection record indicates a portion of a live performance of an eventfor which a recording is desired and wherein the interface is positionedat a forum for the event and is operable by attendees of the event whilethe attendees are perceiving the event at the event forum to select theportions of the live performance without the interface displayingcontent associated with a broadcasted transmission of the liveperformance; synchronization mechanisms for synchronizing the selectionrecords with particular segments of independently recorded content basedon a time during the event associated with each of the selectionrecords, wherein the time is after a start time of one of the particularsegments; and an order generator coupled to receive the selectionrecords and generate production orders suitable for processing by amedia production facility to produce a personalized recording containingthe particular segments identified by the selection records.
 23. Asystem for recording events comprising: a recording facility operatingto record a feature of a live event provided at an event venue; aselection device operated by a user, the selection device allowing theuser, during live performance of the feature of the live event and freeof receipt of broadcasted content from the event venue, to selectdiscrete portions of the live event for personal recording; and a mediaproduction mechanism obtaining the user-selected portions, obtainingsegments of the record corresponding to the selected portions, andproducing a recording containing the user-selected segments of the liveevent, wherein the event comprises a plurality of discrete ones of thesegments stored on the record that each span a time period, and whereinuser selection of an entire one of the event segments comprises enteringa user selection by operating the selection device during the live eventto select a particular moment of time within the time periodcorresponding to the entire one of the event segments, whereby the mediaproduction mechanism obtains the user-selected portions by synchronizingthe user selections corresponding to the particular moments of time withlive event content in the record.